Source: Ukragroconsult (Ukraine)
The death of 57% of oil flax stocks in 2023 has led to a decline in the gross seed harvest in Kazakhstan. The republic is no longer the world leader in the production of this crop. Its place has been taken by Russia. Canada is in third place.
Global oilseed production of linseed reached 3.9 million tons in 2022, one of the highest levels in history, an increase of 18.3% compared to 2021. However, due to significant declines in some major flax cultivation centers – especially in Russia and Kazakhstan – global flaxseed production in 2023 will be significantly lower than in 2022, according to preliminary estimates.
In Russia, the gross harvest in 2022 amounted to 1.7 million tons, which corresponds to around 44% of total global production. Last year, production fell by 33.5% to 1.2 million tons,” the document states.
The volume of gross harvest in Kazakhstan – the second largest player in the global market – increased by 9% in 2022 compared to 2021 to 845.6 thousand tons. However, Agroexport notes that Kazakhstan’s production of the crop is well below the record 1.1 million tons in 2020.
In 2023, global imports of flaxseed amounted to 2.55 million tons worth $1.35 billion. In 2023, the largest importers of flaxseed were China, which purchased more than 1.2 million tons (48.5% of global imports), and Belgium, which imported 428,700 tons (16.8%). The top five importers in terms of volume also included the USA (4.8%), Poland (4.4%) and the Netherlands (3.7%). Russia took ninth place in this ranking. In the period 2018-2023, purchases of linseed increased primarily in China (by 3.2 times or +848.6 thousand tons), Russia (by 4.9 times or +34.5 thousand tons) and Kazakhstan (from 414.7 tons to 41.7 thousand tons).
In 2023, global exports of linseed amounted to 2.63 million tons worth USD 1.39 billion. In 2023, Russia (56.2% of global exports) and Kazakhstan (19.6%) were the largest suppliers of linseed on the global market in terms of volume. Canada (8.3%), Belgium (5.8%) and Poland (3.1%) were also among the top five exporters. In the period 2018-2023, linseed deliveries from Russia (3.7 times or +1.1 million tons), Kazakhstan (+18.4% or +80,200 tons) and Ukraine (2.9 times or +26,300 tons) increased the most.
The average import price for linseed fell by 35.6% in 2023 compared to 2022 and amounted to USD 528 per tonne. Of the leading importing countries, Germany (95.0% higher than the global average price), France (81.6% higher), the USA (75.1% higher) and the Netherlands (54.2% higher) purchased the most expensive seed. The lowest purchase prices were observed in Kazakhstan (59.4% below the global average price) and Afghanistan (48.5% below).
In 2023, the average export price for linseed was USD 530 per tonne, 33.1% below the 2022 level. The most expensive products among the leading exporting countries were supplied from the Netherlands (2.7 times higher than the world average price), Germany (2.4 times higher) and India (2.1 times higher). The lowest prices were recorded for deliveries from Russia (20.3% lower than the world average price), Ukraine (13.8% lower) and Kazakhstan (12.6% lower).